New Hampshire v. Long
Annotate this CaseDefendant Christopher Long appealed a superior court order imposing a portion of his previously-suspended sentences based on findings that he violated the "no-contact" provision of those sentences by filing a petition to establish a parenting plan for his and the victim's child. Long had kidnapped the victim who had been at the time, pregnant with Long's child. Long pled guilty to six criminal charges for which prison sentences were imposed. All sentences included the provision. In August 2014, Long filed a petition in the circuit court to establish a parenting plan for his and the victim’s child. In the petition, Long wanted a "[m]ediator [a]ppointed to help [him and the victim] to create a Parenting Plan." Long also averred that he had had no contact with the child and that there was "currently a restraining order in full effect." He requested that the court send the victim “[a]ll copies of Motions, Notification[s], [and] Financial Affidavits” on his behalf. He did not mention the no-contact provision of his sentences. According to Long (and apparently not disputed by the State), the victim accepted service of the petition at the courthouse, after having been contacted by the court. Thereafter, she filed a petition to terminate the defendant’s parental rights. Thereafter, the State moved to impose portions of Long's suspended sentences. The trial court found that the no-contact provisions were clear and unambiguous and that by filing the parenting petition, Long willfully violated them. Accordingly, the trial court granted the State's motion. The Supreme Court reversed: "On the surface, the disposition of this case might appear straightforward. [. . .] But we cannot simply say 'end of story' and resolve the case on this basis because there are broader constitutional principles at stake. Here, the sentencing order did not give the defendant fair warning that filing the parenting petition constituted 'contact' such that his suspended sentences could be imposed." The case was remanded for further proceedings.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.